[Report 1903] / Medical Officer of Health, Tipton U.D.C.

  • Tipton (England : Parish). Urban District Council.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1903] / Medical Officer of Health, Tipton U.D.C. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    4/24 (page 4)
    on the new works, now in course of erection, who come in by train from the Birmingham district; in time, when they are completed and in full swing, we shall have an influx of many fresh families, I have calculated that at the least we have 250 more inhabitants than last year, and so have based my calculations and averages upon a population of 31,250. The census returns have been as follows :— In 1871 the census was 29,428. In 1881 30,013. In 1891 29,316. In 1901 30,543. Estimated population during 1903 ... 31,250. The district is well supplied with a continuous and full supply of pure water by the South Staffordshire Water Works Company. We have a deep drainage scheme which is partially completed ; it will be some time before the ground will have sufficiently settled to allow of its being carried out in its entirety. Most of the drainage is surface drainage, and when the drains are kept clear very little trouble is caused, but most frequently in the poorer houses, the drains are loosely and badly laid, and so allow of percolation ; usually, however, it is the tenants and not the landlords who are at fault when the drains are stopped. We have a few water-closets, and a few on the waste water (Duckett’s) system, but mostly the houses are furnished with privies with ventilated cesspits, and of a specially devised form. We do not sanction the combined ashpit and privy- cesspit system; it is unsightly, does not work well, and is more insanitary than the privy-cesspit system. The night soil is removed under the direct control of the Sanitary Inspector, and is afterwards disposed of in the best available manner ; some in specially constructed boats is sent into the country, other is tipped on to land and then covered over with the waste lime from the GasWorks. We have the greatest difficulty in disposing of the night soil without causing great expense and loss of valuable manure, but we feel that a crisis is near at hand, and more money will have to be spent to keep the district in anything like a decent sanitary order. There are numbers of all kinds of workmen’s dwellings, some recently erected are to be had from 3/- to 3/6 per week rent. The older houses do not let so well. We are not over¬ crowded, and excepting in well-known properties where the submerged tenth live, the houses will compare favourably in drainage, water supply, air space and general hygiene, with similar houses in any town in the kingdom.